The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1887-11-19
0BEYING ORDERS.

~SS yeu UoAia ooo III luo Aolt~uhAu
side Of the road, about sixty rods from the
town, a small two.etory frame house stand.
Ing near the pike, in a ! barren yard. That
house was the scene Of q military tragedy
such as did not often occur In the armies,
and which illustrated in the most striking
manner the fidelity OF a young recruit on
duty, and to the strict military maxim
"0bey orders." Let me tell the story.
It will DO best 10 asy q. the start that
tho real names OF the principal actors in
this episode are suppressed. They are
freoh in mind, and could easily DO used
but when the account has been road, the
reaoons for withholding them will DO per.
fectly understood.
The hero OF tho adventure vas at the
limo alad Of leas than twenty years, a re.
cruit Of the fifteenth Maine Infantry, and
had been but oix wceka in the snryice.
His share in the events OF that night wse
not only honorable, but highly prassewo..
thy; yet as he may now be, II surviving,
the father Of a family, poeeibly a man Of
wealth and prominence at home, l should
not wish, without his consent, to attach
bis true name 10 tho sketch. We will,
therefore, call him Private Brigham. AS
Tor the unhappy victim Of tho encounter,
whose rashness, or worse, led him on to
bis desth, charity to his memory and to
the teelings OF hurviying relatives appeals
to me to withhold bis name. He will be
styled Lieutenant Y.
The time was April 1866; 1t was q few
days after the new had reached US OF the
surrender st Appomsttox. l was Judge.
advocate Of Dwieht's division, which wal
thrown out about two miles in front oil
Winchester. Early one morning the
field officer of the day came riding into
headquarters to report. l stood BY aut
heard what he said 10 the Adjutant-Gen
eral.
Everything is all right on tho picket
line; but l hear Of q row that occurred al
a house where We have a safeguard, on
the pike back near town. There was 4
man killed, come say an Officer
WAC Immediately dispatched to inyes.
tlgate. AS I rode up to the house, l saw
a group Of idlers in front. Ono Of them
said something about blood" Dismount.
ing, l stopped long enough Outside to see
what thoy we're looking at. Sure enough,
it was blood drops Of it on the eteps and
on the ground.
went in. Two or three women were
in the hall, pale as ghosts, and almost
hyntesical. They all began to tall; at once.
but ! stopped them. I told them who l
vac, my Grand and that they must tell
me the "rrsct truth as to what had hap.
pened.
j got their utary end then went into the
back room. There was Private Brigham,
a slender slip OF a fellow, about ss pale as
the women, but looking just like q soldier
&c no ssrsped his. WuHket with the bsyons.
fixed.
l had learned enough already to satisfy
me where the truth lay, and I talked
kindly and assuredly to the young soldier
while I took notes Of his statement.
"Give 1t to me, Just as 1t happened" l
III you have obsyed orders and done youl
duty, no harm Bhall come to you."
He told me his story which perfectly
matched that Of the old woman, in q sim
pie and straightforward way. These &C
counts, 1 have never doubted, gave tbs
whole truth OF the affair. Before Coins
back to headquarters, I went into another
room, where something on the floor wal
covered by a white sheet from a bod. One
of the women turned it down. A deae
man lsy there with q bayonet wound cleal
through his breast. There we're no strap
upon tho shoulderB OF his blouse, but
recognized the isoe at oncs. 1t was tha'
Of Lieutenant Y, Of the cavalry, whom
| had met at Winchester, the winter be
lore. He was q wild fellow, much giver
TO drink and dissipation, but Of handsom,
face and fine appearance.
And this is how it happened.
The occupants OF the house were
widow and her two grown daughtsru
They had been annoyed by the depreda
tons Of some soldiers, to which had beef
lately added IN occasional visit by Lieu
tenant Y. He was, or profeesed Il
be, in love with one Of the girls. Boil
she and her mother had requested hin
not to trouble them, and fearing that h
would NOT heed the requeBt, thoy hat
asked for a safeguard which had beel
furnished the night before, in the perso,
Of private Brigham.
To 'force a ~saie.gusrd' in military par
lauce 10 q grave crime. The officer o
soldier who would do it would lay himsel
liable 10 no less penalty than that OF death
The safeguard stands for the protection
OF peaceable citizens and their property
and has the power Of the whole army a
his back.
It is doubtful whether Private Brigham
fresh in the service as he was, fully real
lied this; buths knew what bis order
were, and he was determined to OBEY
them. They were TO admit no one at tn,
house but an officer on duty. :.
Sometime after dark, three horsemel
rode up to the door and dismounted, On,
of them, Lieutenant Y, opened tn
door and was confronted with q bayone
at the end of q musket In the hands Of tn
resolute safeguard. One of the womeI
held a lamp back in the hall.I sP1
What happened did not take two min
utes. Tho officer wore at Bingham an.
ordered him to stand back. The Goldie
told him fatty that no could not ente
and that no would bs hurt II he tried il
The officer swore again, wa tainted b
his companion outside for being ken
back by ian infantry toad-stabber,n an,
he made q rush. The soldier nut tn
bRyonet straight through him. He mus
have died instantly; his heart was cloyel
through. He tumbled to the floor, an,
Private Bingham stood again on gusrt
There was more profanity outside, an
another man appeared on the steps an,
attempted to enter. He, too, was warned
but pressed on, and promptly received til
bayonet through his arm. he waited 10
no more, but beat 8 hasty retreat, wa
helped on his horse by the orderly, an
rode away.
On the report that I made to Genera
Dwight Of this affair, 7 was ordered to de
tend the soldier, whenever he should b
brought before a court martial. Iexpec
cd to have TO do this, and made ready t
do it; but the occasion never came. Bri,
: ham was never tried, and honorably 6i
: ished his service. l never knew precisel